Highest-paying jobs in Salem that don't require a college degree
Highest-paying jobs in Salem that don't require a college degree
From the moment they arrive on campus, today’s high school students are inundated with messages about the importance of receiving a college education. They hear it from their guidance counselors, teachers, parents, family members, neighbors, and coaches. While graduation from a four-year college can certainly work wonders for students’ future careers, it’s not necessary for all fields — something admissions officers and guidance counselors sometimes fail to mention.
To find the highest paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, Stacker consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook to compile a list of all jobs that don’t require higher education. All professions that listed a high school diploma, some college education (without a degree conferred), postsecondary nondegree award, or no formal education requirements for entry-level positions were considered. Jobs that didn’t list any entry-level education requirement were excluded, as were job titles that grouped several positions together. Jobs are ranked by 2021 annual mean wage.
Keep reading to discover the highest paying jobs in Salem, OR that don’t require a college degree.
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#50. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Annual mean salary: $55,120
- #307 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,350
- Employment: 172,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($88,140)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($84,690)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($80,570)

#49. Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
- Annual mean salary: $55,160
- #133 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 530
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,690
- Employment: 356,960
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($78,020)
--- Fairbanks, AK ($76,750)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($71,710)

#48. First-line supervisors of landscaping, lawn service, and groundskeeping workers
- Annual mean salary: $55,310
- #95 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,270
- Employment: 116,380
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Madera, CA ($76,040)
--- Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT ($74,800)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($73,360)

#47. Postal service clerks
- Annual mean salary: $55,480
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,210
- Employment: 79,320
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Houma-Thibodaux, LA ($59,410)
--- Florence, SC ($59,360)
--- Monroe, MI ($59,320)

#46. Food service managers
- Annual mean salary: $55,690
- #348 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,970
- Employment: 210,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Trenton, NJ ($91,320)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($89,860)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($87,750)
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#45. Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators
- Annual mean salary: $56,880
- #104 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 80
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,320
- Employment: 121,150
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,980)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($92,370)
--- Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV ($87,990)
#44. Computer numerically controlled tool programmers
- Annual mean salary: $57,350
- #92 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,360
- Employment: 25,800
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,600)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($92,910)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($86,660)
#43. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Annual mean salary: $57,420
- #243 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 700
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,870
- Employment: 466,910
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,590)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($87,760)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($87,420)

#42. Telecommunications line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $57,590
- #120 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $62,250
- Employment: 101,530
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($90,680)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($90,370)
--- Salinas, CA ($88,050)

#41. Real estate sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $57,900
- #147 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 90
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,480
- Employment: 175,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Midland, TX ($100,060)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($99,880)
--- Worcester, MA-CT ($93,400)
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#40. Sheet metal workers
- Annual mean salary: $58,150
- #111 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 350
National
- Annual mean salary: $58,760
- Employment: 122,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($101,150)
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($94,930)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($93,840)

#39. Lodging managers
- Annual mean salary: $59,380
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: data not available
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,770
- Employment: 35,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($121,090)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,410)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($99,600)
#38. Public safety telecommunicators
- Annual mean salary: $59,840
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 160
National
- Annual mean salary: $47,030
- Employment: 97,050
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($97,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,790)
--- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA ($76,950)
#37. Licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses
- Annual mean salary: $60,110
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 560
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,850
- Employment: 641,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Napa, CA ($76,890)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($75,880)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($75,410)

#36. Advertising sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $60,800
- #73 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 30
National
- Annual mean salary: $66,540
- Employment: 96,660
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($97,840)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($97,720)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($83,050)
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#35. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Annual mean salary: $61,120
- #67 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 190
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,280
- Employment: 145,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Fairbanks, AK ($86,740)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,520)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($79,470)

#34. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators
- Annual mean salary: $61,200
- #136 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 640
National
- Annual mean salary: $56,280
- Employment: 404,820
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,910)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($91,860)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,120)
#33. Surgical technologists
- Annual mean salary: $61,630
- #39 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,590
- Employment: 109,060
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,450)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($80,170)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($77,460)

#32. Computer user support specialists
- Annual mean salary: $61,720
- #49 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 800
National
- Annual mean salary: $57,650
- Employment: 654,310
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA ($90,480)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($76,920)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,510)

#31. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel
- Annual mean salary: $62,800
- #232 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 620
National
- Annual mean salary: $71,110
- Employment: 1,026,390
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($103,810)
--- Boulder, CO ($101,630)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($97,360)
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#30. Drywall and ceiling tile installers
- Annual mean salary: $62,900
- #19 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 270
National
- Annual mean salary: $54,810
- Employment: 97,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,380)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($82,560)
--- Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI ($81,460)

#29. Property, real estate, and community association managers
- Annual mean salary: $63,270
- #163 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,030
- Employment: 234,680
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($109,540)
--- Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO ($106,420)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($103,610)
#28. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Annual mean salary: $63,320
- #89 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,150
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,380
- Employment: 1,443,630
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($82,050)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($79,520)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($78,430)

#27. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Annual mean salary: $64,700
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 380
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,470
- Employment: 125,440
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($86,470)
--- Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD ($86,370)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($85,860)

#26. Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door
- Annual mean salary: $66,420
- #116 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $67,310
- Employment: 44,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA ($98,380)
--- Salt Lake City, UT ($94,070)
--- Santa Rosa, CA ($92,800)
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#25. Correctional officers and jailers
- Annual mean salary: $66,560
- #29 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 740
National
- Annual mean salary: $53,420
- Employment: 392,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($96,580)
--- Salinas, CA ($89,100)
--- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($86,260)
#24. Massage therapists
- Annual mean salary: $66,750
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 110
National
- Annual mean salary: $49,260
- Employment: 81,030
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Anchorage, AK ($96,260)
--- Kalamazoo-Portage, MI ($74,980)
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($74,850)

#23. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Annual mean salary: $66,800
- #253 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 1,080
National
- Annual mean salary: $72,390
- Employment: 1,242,490
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($102,280)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($92,660)
--- Napa, CA ($92,620)

#22. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Annual mean salary: $67,240
- #429 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $92,320
- Employment: 243,920
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($129,860)
--- Durham-Chapel Hill, NC ($121,360)
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($121,250)
#21. Tapers
- Annual mean salary: $67,420
- #14 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $65,140
- Employment: 14,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($93,010)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($87,750)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($86,880)
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#20. Security and fire alarm systems installers
- Annual mean salary: $68,640
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,170
- Employment: 77,420
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Eugene, OR ($70,940)
--- Salem, OR ($68,640)
--- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI ($68,520)

#19. Insurance sales agents
- Annual mean salary: $68,740
- #123 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 420
National
- Annual mean salary: $69,340
- Employment: 422,600
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($104,230)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,470)
--- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA ($95,620)
#18. Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers
- Annual mean salary: $68,980
- #8 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $52,390
- Employment: 51,040
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($81,390)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($80,460)
--- Urban Honolulu, HI ($73,070)

#17. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Annual mean salary: $72,790
- #41 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 300
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,350
- Employment: 417,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($94,580)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($89,500)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($89,190)

#16. Brickmasons and blockmasons
- Annual mean salary: $73,640
- #21 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,430
- Employment: 55,950
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($95,980)
--- Decatur, IL ($92,670)
--- Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ ($89,340)
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#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $74,080
- #135 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 480
National
- Annual mean salary: $73,590
- Employment: 526,240
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Bremerton-Silverdale, WA ($93,830)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($93,030)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($92,870)

#14. Construction and building inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $74,120
- #55 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 120
National
- Annual mean salary: $68,480
- Employment: 117,830
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New Haven, CT ($121,510)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,330)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,190)

#13. Private detectives and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,460
- #12 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $60,970
- Employment: 28,860
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Jackson, MI ($93,360)
--- Bakersfield, CA ($91,080)
--- Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO ($87,760)

#12. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Annual mean salary: $75,970
- #65 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 340
National
- Annual mean salary: $70,960
- Employment: 278,140
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Kennewick-Richland, WA ($104,350)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($95,200)
--- Salinas, CA ($90,800)

#11. Electricians
- Annual mean salary: $77,090
- #20 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 750
National
- Annual mean salary: $63,310
- Employment: 650,580
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($93,900)
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($91,090)
--- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($86,600)
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#10. Glaziers
- Annual mean salary: $78,000
- #2 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $51,950
- Employment: 52,700
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Olympia-Tumwater, WA ($78,840)
--- Salem, OR ($78,000)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($74,990)

#9. Transportation inspectors
- Annual mean salary: $79,160
- #44 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 40
National
- Annual mean salary: $77,620
- Employment: 25,070
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Portland-South Portland, ME ($112,260)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($111,930)
--- Anchorage, AK ($108,140)

#8. Structural iron and steel workers
- Annual mean salary: $79,960
- #10 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $61,270
- Employment: 68,620
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($95,020)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($88,250)
--- Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH ($83,340)

#7. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Annual mean salary: $82,070
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 740
National
- Annual mean salary: $75,060
- Employment: 665,870
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($112,020)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($103,820)
--- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ($101,210)

#6. Commercial pilots
- Annual mean salary: $88,680
- #148 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 180
National
- Annual mean salary: $115,080
- Employment: 42,770
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($185,920)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($184,260)
--- Savannah, GA ($177,450)
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#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Annual mean salary: $88,760
- #303 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 130
National
- Annual mean salary: $105,580
- Employment: 144,640
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($159,890)
--- Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT ($154,170)
--- Trenton, NJ ($144,620)

#4. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Annual mean salary: $93,720
- #53 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 100
National
- Annual mean salary: $79,060
- Employment: 123,940
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($117,700)
--- Salinas, CA ($110,180)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($109,490)

#3. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Annual mean salary: $101,810
- #33 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 70
National
- Annual mean salary: $83,270
- Employment: 80,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($171,060)
--- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA ($145,740)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($135,860)

#2. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Annual mean salary: $102,100
- #28 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 50
National
- Annual mean salary: $90,370
- Employment: 107,890
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($132,210)
--- Anchorage, AK ($127,070)
--- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV ($123,460)
#1. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Annual mean salary: $120,740
- #34 highest pay among all metros
- Employment: 150
National
- Annual mean salary: $98,760
- Employment: 128,230
- Metros with highest average pay:
--- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($182,700)
--- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($170,740)
--- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($164,600)
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